Condenser boiler



L. A. sHELDoN 2,332,941

CONDENSER BOILER Oct. 26, 1943.

Filed Nov. 4. 1942 FigL Ivm/enter: Lucian Ahelcion,

b W 52ML,

y @Attorney lihe` present invention,` relates to boilers Vandglike surface type heat exchangers denser boiler for mercury power plants.

PatentedOct. 26, 1943 to General Electric Co l `New York l, fooNnENsER Borne-1t f ,"Ilucan` Sheldon, Schenectady, N.Y. assigner' Y mpany, a corporation of condenser such fas are used, for example, in mercury power plants to condense mercury l ,vapor exhausted from ,a turbine byttransferring .heatffrom the?r )mercury vapor to `a liquid such -as water evaporated.

-to be The objectof my invention is tov provide an `improved construction and arrangement of `con- Ydenserilmilers and like heat exchangers of they i type above specified `which are simple and `coin- .pact in construction and efficient in operation.

`For a consideration of what I believe to tbe novel and `my invention, attention is` directed to the following descriptionand-the claimsap-r pended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing. l i

In the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a surface type heat exchanger embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a section along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.`

The surface type heat exchanger illustrated in the drawing is particularly adapted as a `con- The arrangement comprises a vertically disposed cylindrical shell IU with a bottom Il and a top I2. The shell I has an opening on one side intersecting with and fused to a flanged cylinder I3, which latter forms an extension of and is fastened to a turbine casing I4 forming part of a mercury turbine which includes a rotor I5 having a bucket wheel I6 secured to an overhung shaft II with a row of buckets I8 adjacent an opening or inlet I9. This opening is formed between the inner surface of the anged cylinder I3 and a disk 20 adjacent the disk of the bucket wheel I6 and supported on the flanged cylinder I3 and the shell I0 by a horizontal web or partitionll and a vertical web 2Ia fused to the disk and to the inner surfaces of the extension I3 and the shell I0. The webs 2| and 2Ia while acting to support the disk 28 and to reinforce the shell structure also serve as guides for elastic fluid passing into thecondenser and aiding uniformly to` distribute vthe fluid therein. In addition the webs actas baffles to keep condensed mercury flowing along the tubes from being sucked into the center of the wheel and then thrown out tangentially, thus cutting the last stage buckets on the turbine.

The cooling arrangement or, from` another viewpoint, the boiler means associated with the shell I0 comprises an elongated cylindrical drum 22 vertically disposed in the shell Il) -and` arranged somewhat off center in a direction away from the inlet for elastic fluid'of the shell I0.

`1 claim. (cuasi-28)' The drum ,-22 Vhas fa `@bottom projecting, slightly 1out I.of fthe :shell I0 .and closed :by a bottom plate .23; and la ltcp portion -projecting thronghzfand .sealed to :anfopen-ing in the top ,portion I- 2 .ofgthe drum.; The topz'portion ofithe drum is vclosledyby a `closure plate y24.

v4A plurality of heat transfer-tubes25 are :substantially uniformly `clistribllted about l `the 22 inside ythe shell `I'I)`. Each tube has ga lower bent portion ,Zfconnected to Aa llower portionrof -ith'e `drum and an upper bent `portion A-21' conc nectedto an upper ,portion of the drum. LiquidV to be evaporated such .as'water istconductedito the fdrum `by a conduit 28 j arranged -diametrically ,oppositethe vaporl inlet to :the drum. c The conduit `.28 has a portion` `projecting,through .an opening in the shell I0 radially towards the drum 22 and sealed to an opening in the drum. The upper end portion of the drum 22 is connected to a conduit 29 for discharging vapor from the drum. I l

The arrangement includes means for removing non-condensables such as air from the shell. This means comprises a conduit 30 which has a portion 3| disposed within the liquid supply con` duit 28. The inner end of the portion 3I isvconnected to branches 32 and 33 sealed to diametrically opposite openings in the conduit 28. The end portions of the branches 32 located outside the conduit 28 have perforations 34 for receiving non-condensables to be removed from the shell. fDuring operation the liquid such as water to be evaporated is supplied to the drum 22 through the liquid supply conduit 28 until the waterin the drum has reached a level 35 somewhat below the connections of the drum to the tube end portions 21, thus filling the major portions of the tubes 25. Due to the eccentric arrangement between the shell I0 and the drum 22 with the tubes 25, vapor such as mercury vapor passed y through the inlet of the shell is uniformly distributed among the passages formed between vThe coolest region in the shellis formed substantially diametrically opposite the inlet of the Aanimproved construction of condenser boilers in which the cooling tubes are symmetrically disposed about and connected to lower and up'" per portions of a drum. The cooling tubesare completely enclosed Within the condenser shell.

Both the drum and the shell are preferably cylindrical with the drum arranged off-center from the shell. The drum has a lower portion lled with liquid broadly constituting a lower liquid header connected to the lower ends o i the tubes, and an upper portion connected to the vupper ends of -the tubes for receiving vapor therefrom `and=Y broadly constituting an I upper orivapor header. `By making-such two headers, the lower or liquid and the upper or vaporheader,in the form of .a verticallyrdisposed single drum a simple and compact structure isA obtained, permitting liquid discharged intothe -vapor header Ito return `directly through the drum into its lower portion or liquid header.

'The liquid level in the drum is Vmaintained be' lowf the connection of the drum with the outlets vofgvvthe tubes25 to preclude reverse circulation A`ofiluid through the tubes.r f

The non-condensable removal means are arranged in the coolest region in the shell and include a conduit partly enclosed within the liquid supply conduit to the drum, thus assuring effective cooling in the region of the perforated air removal conduit means.

Having described the method of operation of 5 my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other l means.

i What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

Condenser boiler comprising a vertically disposed cylindrical shell having a side wall with l an opening for receiving vapor to be condensed, a vertically disposed cylindrical drum located in the shell withy its centerline spaced from that "of the shell in a direction away from said opening, a plurality of vertical heating tubes symmetrically disposed about the drum within the shell each having a lower end portion connected to a lower portion of the drum and an upper end-portion connected to an upper portion of the -drumpliquid supply and vapor discharge conduitmeans connected tothe drum, the liquid supply conduit means comprising a conduit extending radially through the shell and connected to` a portion of the drum substantially diametricallyy opposite from said opening, and a `condiut for removingnon-condensables from the shellV having a portion-located within the liquid supply lconduitin the shell and a perforated 'extension connected to said portion and pro- K jecting from the liquidy supply conduit in proxim- 5 ity of the drum.

1 'l LUCIAN A. SHELDON. 

